Locked
by Amaro
Summary: RikuxSora Several months have passed since returning from kingdom hearts, and Sora returns to an even stranger world... home. Riku is gone. Kairi is in denial, and Sora begins to doubt even himself. Can he still believe the truth?


Alright decided to try something new and when this came to mind after playing Kingdom Hearts for the thrid time and in anitcipation of the second game I got inspiration. Like I said this is sort of different than what I normally write and I'm not quite sure if its going to work since Sora is what I like to call a happy-go-lucky character and I've forced him into an angsty situation, but I'm an angst writer to its to be expected.

I've written this just after the last game, obviously, except that instead of Sora continuing on to look for the king and Riku he was sent back to his home. Also I've wrote this in away that I've used the game as if it started the story so I tried not to spend a lot of time recapping. Also this story take place several months after the game.

Anyway hope you enjoy and please tell me if this is worth continuing. flashbacks in italics by the way

All right reserved to Square Soft (now Square Enix)

* * *

Chapter One  
Open Doors 

Darkness, gloomy, deep in tint, dim, absence of color, knowledge, without light.

The dark has always been easy to identify. The dark is when you turn out the lights, or take away the light. The dark is what is feared by many for it represents the unknown, and the unknown is often frightening, and uncertain. The dark is when you become unaware, or know little, not ignorance but the inability to gain information. The interference of what is going on around you. A sense of loss. To know what is missing. This void, the void of loosing someone is describe by darkness.

The darkness is the period of time without light.

Riku was alone, that was obvious. He had long since lost sight of the king, but how was he suppose to without any light to see by. That's what the darkness was to him, he felt as a new born child must feel so oblivious to its surroundings. It was too little to say that the darkness was consuming and had eaten the lost boy alive, it was more like a mixed drink that had been poured into several glasses before being reunited again in the form of a shot. Riku no longer had a sense of individuality, he was no longer himself and began to believe that maybe there never was a Riku and he had just imagined that he was ever anything but the dark. He even had lost sight of the light. It seemed so impossible that a boy named Sora had ever been in his life before being abruptly dragged away. This must be the definition of sacrifice, the void formerly thought to be as Riku pondered.

Conscience thought slowly left him and he was left to drift mindless again separating himself more and more from reality.

* * *

"Sora!" Tidus yelled from outside. "Sora? Are you coming or not?" The energetic blonde called out again. 

Sora knew that Tidus had seen him so there was no longer much point in hiding in his room, sighing he looked out the window where he had spent most the morning leaning against and pulled on his runners.

"Coming," came the less enthusiastic reply as Sora shut the front door.

"Jeez Sor," Tidus laughed passing the blitz ball that Wakka had just thrown at his head back to him. "What took so long you seem to spend all your time locked in your room these days."

Sora ignored the words with a shrug and looked at the small group. "Where's Kairi?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh she said something about being busy, and didn't seem to like the idea of going to the island." Selphie answered for them, obviously a little put out that she was once again the only girl.

"Why?"

"I don't know but I don't think she wants to come back with us at all anymore." Tidus continued, shifting from foot to foot, obviously eager to head.

"Oh." Sora replied, following the others to the dock.

He was trying really he was, but ever since coming back from kingdom hearts facing the truth seemed impossible. He tried to smile, at one point the had sat in front of the mirror and tried over and over again to look happy with little success.

"I mustn't give up." Sora whispered under his breath. "I have to carry on, he would have wanted me to." He told himself forcing a laugh when Tidus made a joke about Wakka's hair.

---"I go to school and I run and play,

I tell the kids that its all Okay,

I laugh a loud so my friends don't know,

when the bell rings I just don't wanna go."---

He. The single word has become such a noun in the past month as Sora's thoughts and soon his life became revolved around He. It was true, Sora thought bitterly, you don't realize what you had until its gone.

"Earth to Sora!" Tidus laughed waving his arms back and forth until Sora realized that the others were already in the small boats they had for the journey to the island. "You with us today dude?" The blonde haired boy asked looking only remotely concerned.

"Ya man, something bothering you?" Wakka asked. "Is it Riku."

"Sora," Selphie spoke up trying to be comforting. "I know its still hard… for all of us," she added hoping that that fact would help a little.

"Come on Sora, his not getting anymore dead." Tidus tried the joking method of solving the grief, when truly he was just eager to get going.

That one hurt, Sora thought to himself, boarding his own hardly sea worthy vessel. The others all thought Riku was dead and Kairi had hardly been any help at convincing them otherwise. When Sora had come home, he was shocked to find that only a day had passed, and even more shocked to discover that Kairi was in denial that the adventure had even happened. She like Sora had taken to locking herself into her room and refused to come to the island at all. She tried to convince Sora that it was only a dream and that their had been a storm instead, when she, Sora and Riku had been on the island.

"_It was really bad Sora." Kairi told the blue eyed boy as he became desperate for reality. "Riku went out to try and secure the raft," the very same that had been meant for exploring new worlds, "but was swept away when the waves got big. You tried to help him but was instead thrown by the waves against a palm tree." Kari formulated. "I'm sorry Sora, but Riku died." She concluded._

"_B-b-but, the door, kingdom hearts, Riku and I sealed it to save the worlds and then… What about the seven princesses? Remember Kairi you were a princess and Riku and I were both trying to revive you, and I had your heart with me all along-"_

"_Stop it Sora!" Kairi shouted in an uncharacteristically frightened tone. "That never happened! You imagined it after you hit your head!"_

"_Kairi," Sora pleaded for the truth, "please believe me."_

"_Riku is gone. I have accepted it, his parents have, and now its time you do." Kairi demanded pushing Sora out of her room and slamming the door._

Everyone thought and believed that Riku was dead, except Sora who refused to give up.

Riku and Sora had always been close, they had grown up together and stuck up for one another, they had hid at one another's house when in trouble with their parents, they had fought and laughed, and were not surprised at all when they became attracted to one another just before the 'storm.'

Everything they had been through, almost lost its chance while Sora had been the keyblade master. It had put more than just their friendship at risk, when they were separated. It pained Sora to think that he had almost given up his silver haired friend, but it seemed hard to not, when he remembered being confronted by Riku's weapon pointed at him. They had to endure so much from one another, it seemed so impossible that he could just be gone, just like that. He refused to believe it. "I won't believe it!" He shouted his last thoughts causing the other drifting in front of him to turn back to him.

Forcing a grin he laughed. "I won't believe that uh…" his words failed him but thankfully they had arrived and everyone was in hurry to be first at the dock.

* * *

"Sora?" It was after dark now and after returning home from the island that afternoon he had returned to his position next to the window. "Sora-hun?" came the soft knock at the door. "Can we talk to you?" his parents asked through the closed door. 

"Sure." Came the monotone reply as both parents entered the room to confront their son.

"What's bothering you sweety?" Sora's mom asked rubbing his back in what seemed to a motherly method. The attention kinda shocked Sora since usually his parents were usually oblivious to their son's life, expecting him to be independent.

"Is it about Riku?" his dad asked in a none such subtle way.

"I know its hard to loose someone close to you, like a close friend." She accented the word friend as if trying to single it out if it would appear that Riku was anything else.

Sora had tried at first to tell his story to his parents who despite their attentive listening had left the room when their son was done talking to discuss something privately that Sora could only feel was that they thought he was lying.

"Is it that we don't give you enough attention?" He father asked again with a certain bluntness as if he had just asked his son his sexual preference.

"Sweety we just want to make sure that you can accept that Riku is dead, your friends have been telling us what has been going on and huney, we think you need to cheer up and be that happy Sora we know and love."

Yea the Sora they know and love, Sora thought to himself feeling it was as if his parents really didn't know him that well at all. He didn't really resent this because a big part of the reason was that he had spent most of the past years on the island when he didn't have to go to school, and his parents had spent most of their time at work, busy, or satisfied by the answer fine without caring to know more. This had always been to Sora's advantage when trying to get away with things when he was younger, but now that they were homing in on him he was confused on how to act.

"We think that it may be beneficial for you to see someone," his mom continued, "so you realize that Riku is gone and perhaps you can talk about the dreams you had after the accident.

Sora found it strange that they weren't letting him talk and felt that the idea of a psychiatrist was a bit extreme when he knew in his heart the truth.

"Also um…" It was then that Sora's mom finally stopped speaking and an awkward silence befell the room. "Kairi's parents um…" A blush of fluster and embarrassment crossed the woman's face as she looked from Sora and then to his father for help. He shook his head and refused to say anything. "Kairi's parents said they saw you and Riku together before the incident."

Sora looked from his mom to his dad who wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Together." She repeated as if to herself. "Now we are completely Okay with that right dear." She quickly added with reference to Sora's father who remained stiff. "We just think that the truth might help us to understand you better.

"I-I-I um…" Sora felt he should say something, but couldn't find any words, instead he just looked from one parent to the other and gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm fine." Sora laughed. "That seems kinda silly, of course Riku and I were together, we are-"

"-were, sweety. Were." His mom interrupted.

"Best friends. " The blue eyes boy continued as if he hadn't heard his mom. "Last time I checked that wasn't a reason to visit a shrink." Sora laughed trying to take in the conversation as one big joke.

"We don't want you going to that damn island anymore." His father finally spoke up again still refusing to make eye contact with the boy. "Its bad for you to spend so much time their alone."

"Your father is right, we noticed that sometimes you go without your friends."

"They won't let me look for Riku when they're with me?" Sora slipped out before he could stop him.

"Riku isn't coming back!" His father shouted which seemed more his usual expression then this comfort act. The man quickly rose to his feet and stormed from the room.

Sora looked down wishing he could take back what he said then looked to his mom hoping to find reassurance, instead she just looked at him with the kind of pity a rich person would give a hobo on the street, and with a sad shake of her head she left the room.

"I didn't mean that." Sora whispered to the closed door and then fell against the bed choking back the golf ball size lump in the back of his throat.

* * *

"Now, Now dear, calm down its not that bad." Sora leaned against the door to hear better as he heard his parents talking about him later that night in their room. "I knew this really nice lady, did miracles for this co worker of mine who was convinced her dead dog was following her around. 

"Its not going to fix the fact that my only son is a fucking fag!" Sora heard his father shout, his stomach wretched by the words.

"Its just a phase, he'll get over it, you'll see." His mother tried to defend but didn't quite disagree that their son was a 'fag'. "He's a sweet kid he's just a little lost right now, you have to admit, he and Riku were awfully close."

"Too close, and you're right it is awful, awful and embarrassing that the mayor knows my son is a gay."

Sora didn't hear the rest but instead crept back to his room careful not to be upset.

Back in the sanctuary of his room, blue eyes surveyed the room until they rested, looking out into the darkness through the window. Silently Sora begged for Riku to return just so he could prove everyone he was right, and have someone to believe him.

The darkness was always at a steady pace, not known to where it was going but always following a pattern, the darkness was always the same, so the sudden movement and vibration of activity that was sent amongst the utter blackness stirred Riku from his resting. Unaware what was happening he tried the only possible thing he could, he worked toward the epicenter of the feeling, trying to find the source. Yet despite this decisive action, Riku was still unaware of why he would try, and how he would try and what for. But as felt himself drawing nearer to the point, he seemed to feel more, he began to 'see,' he began to remember.

Then there it was, the door was open, it didn't occur to Riku that this might have been bad sign, instead he pressed further towards the door eager, hungry for and craving the light that had appeared, like so much more of the darkness. The light was warm and gave him back the sense of feeling. He felt the warm breeze on his cheeks, he could hear the sounds of the world, feel the air around himself and his once again found physical self, but the consequence… he could see the darkness as it fled from the gates also eagerly taking in the light. He was free, but at what cost, however none of that mattered now.

Sora was real.

* * *

Alright so its pretty different from what I think most people would expect, but I tried. Yes I know Kairi acts like a bitch, (sorry to Kairi lovers but I'm RikuxSora all the way and she cramps my style) but besides that I need her to act like that to play her role right. And also withSora's parents they aren't necessairly unloving to Sora just spent a lot of time away from him and have lost sight of their son, (though his father is a real prick) once again I made them like this to play a role later on. 

Those lyrics were from Wonderful by Everclear I couldn't get them out of my head

Hope you liked Please read and review.


End file.
